In Rush to Lay Blame, Media Ignores Positive Community Movement in Flint, Michigan

Like any moment of catastrophe that flitters through the mainstream media, the Flint Water Crisis cannot be boiled down to a moment. With media focus on the disaster coming long after it began and waning before it comes to a conclusion, the long-term effects of what Flint citizens are experiencing is being forgotten and marginalized.

Moreover, while the mainstream media has focused its attention on the legal, recognition awarded to those who spoke out, and the “incompetent politicians” who allowed the situation to unfold, much is being missed by this top-down approach to information.

Exploring how the community and alternative systems came together to work towards a solution to the issues caused by lead poisoning offer an important look into how the people of Flint began to make far-reaching positive changes in their time of need.

Leading the community push-back against failures on multiple governmental levels, the Flint Farmers’ Market is working towards creating positive change through this time of struggle. Eating healthy foods have been shown to counteract the effects of ingested lead contamination. What this means is that by increasing the amounts of healthy, whole foods, the people of Flint can combat lead poisoning while positively impacting their overall health. These benefits have not been lost on the Flint Farmers’ Market.

For one, the community is being brought together in new ways and is being made stronger from their shared adversity. By offering free cooking classes that show attendees how to work with nutritious, lead-fighting foods, the Farmers’ Market is building bridges that extend beyond the crisis, linking Flint citizens to new ways of interacting with their food and their bodies.